McCarthy: Still no plan to move farm bill

A top House Republican said there is still no plan to bring up a bipartisan farm bill, but conceded the chamber might have to pass legislation to help farmers affected by a crippling drought.

Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, the No. 3 House GOP lawmaker, said the farm bill will be "done before we're out of the year" but said that House members know very little about the bill's contents, raising concerns that it would not pass the lower chamber.

"It's our intention to get it done," McCarthy told reporters in his Capitol office, noting that Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is opposed to the bill. "So we have to make sure we have the votes, just like [the] transportation bill didn't get done the day it came out of committee either. We have to educate the members and you have to be able to present it. It's our intention to get the farm bill done."

The transportation may not be the best parallel — House Republicans were unable to pass their own highway bill. Plus, the farm bill passed out of the Agriculture Committee with Democratic votes.

"We have an uphill battle," McCarthy said. "The Democrats do want to stop it. We want to make sure a farm bill gets finished. We're going to educate the members, and when we have the votes we'll move it."

McCarthy, who represents an agriculture-heavy district, said Congress could move legislation to help farmers stricken by the drought that has swept across the Midwest.

"If there's something because the drought is greater today that we have to take up in the process, we will try to deal with that even by itself," McCarthy said.